Waterwise public housing project expansion welcomed as win-win-win

Peak housing and homelessness body Shelter WA congratulates the Minister for Housing and the McGowan Government on expansion of successful water-saving pilot program in public housing.

Shelter WA has welcomed the expansion of the Waterwise project to a further 10,000 public housing tenants and families, with $26 million announced to extend the pilot program.

Lower Bills

“We congratulate the Minister for Housing and Minister for Water on their commitment to supporting public housing tenants to reduce water use and lower bills,” Shelter WA CEO Michelle Mackenzie said today.

During the pilot program, nearly 1,000 water audits were carried out at high water use public housing properties, with 620 receiving leak repairs and 735 receiving water efficient fixtures.

“This is a great result for this retrofit pilot program.”

“Research consistently shows investing in water and energy efficiency programs provide one of the biggest bangs for your buck not just in terms of saving precious resources but in delivering savings to the hip pocket,” Ms Mackenzie said.

Fittings Replaced

“The pilot program saw inefficient fixtures and fittings replaced, which reduced average household water consumption and household water bills by over one quarter. This is a great result for this retrofit pilot program,” Ms Mackenzie said.

“We look forward to working in partnership with government on how the community housing providers can support this and other initiatives, delivering savings to tenants and to the environment.

“It is also fantastic news that the government has committed to new social housing exceeding the current minimum standards for water efficiency,” Ms Mackenzie concluded.

Fast facts:

  • At 30 June 2021 there were 35,279 Public and 7,382 Community Houses in WA.
  • The expansion of the Waterwise Public Housing Project to 10,000 homes is estimated to save 4 billion litres of water and reduce water bills for public housing tenants by $66 to $145 each year (before concessions)1

Media Contact: Chantal Caruso 0447 201 377.